Tuesdays with Thalia
by ChildOfApolloHunterOfArtemis
Summary: Annabeth stumbles upon a certain book in a thrift store and Thalia buys it for her. When the seven year old finishes it hours later, she is left with the questions of how to live like Morrie but knows things are different for half bloods. So, with help from Thalia and a one question a week limit, you get Tuesdays with Thalia. I don't own PJO, HoO, or Tuesdays with Morrie.
1. Chapter 1

It all started the day after Luke and Thalia had found me in that alley. Luke had gone out to get food and Thalia had taken me to the local thrift shop for new clothes. I always had a thing for thrift shops because you never knew what you could find. Plus, the discount days were a great way to get cheap books.

Thalia had left me in the book section while she got in the mile long line. It had some of the best condition used books I've ever seen. The pages weren't held together by tape and the binding was still in great shape. The one that looked worse for wear got my attention though. The pages weren't connected to the bind anymore and they had some soda damage. It took me a while to read the cover with my dyslexia, but I was still at the same reading level as Thalia and Luke. After a second, I made out _Tuesdays with Morrie_. Once I read the back, I decided it was worth getting and ran off to find Thalia.

She was near the front of the line, but still a few minutes from checking out. I could see the sparks jumping in her hair as she held pants, shirts, and a new coat for me. I tugged on her leather jacket to get her attention. Thalia whipped her head down and her frustration softened at the sight of me, kids are her kryptonite.

"You okay Annie? Are there any you know whats around?"

I shook my head no and pulled the book out from behind my back. Thalia took a minute to read the title and looked back to me. I gave her my best puppy dog eyes.

"Please Thals! I promise I'll never ask for another book again."

Thalia sighed. "You're lucky it's only 75 cents. Anymore and I would have to say no."

I fist bumped into the air and danced around happily. Thalia rolled her eyes as we made it to the cashier who didn't question two kids being here alone. I couldn't wait to read it.

* * *

I was 3:00 P.M. and I had just finished reading the last sentence. It had entertained me and taught me valuable lessons on family, emotions, culture, and so much more. The only problem was that this retained to the mortal world. I was a seven year old demigod and these topics effected me in different ways.

I mean, feeling sorry for yourself? I don't feel self pity for my situation, anger maybe, because there's no time. Same with regrets, if you regret what you did then your probably dead or someone else is. The live expectancy of a demigod is sixteen for powerful, twenty average, and everyone who makes it past thirty is lucky.

I wanted to live my life like Morrie did, half blood style. So I went to talk to Thals who was setting camp. I could have Luke be Morrie but he's watching for monsters and it seemed right to talk to Thalia since she's known about being a demigod longer.

Thals just finished setting up the trash bags over tree parks and started on the walls. I ran over to help her and we finished soon enough.

"Thals, I finished reading the book."

Thalia's eyes widened. "I thought it would last longer than a few hours Annie."

I put on my thinking face. "Some of the lessons got to me Thalia."

"Don't tell me I bought you a textbook."

"No, it's about a dying man teaching his old pupil how to live his life and show him that work isn't everything. It was based on a true story Thals."

"So, I did buy you a textbook?"

"Again, no. The problem is it's for mortals and I'm a demigod. Some of the messages are different for me, so I was wondering if you could answer my questions."

"Does it look like I'm dying to you?"

"Everyone is technically dying slowly as they live, but I just want answers."

Thalia sighed. "As long as their not about puberty or babies then I'll do it. Remember, we are a busy group so you might only get one question a week."

I smile up at her. "I'll ask you on a Tuesday each week."

She smiled back down at me. "Girls day out."

"Meet the Press."

"Ditch Day."

"Tuedays with Thalia."

**I would like to state that I don't own PJO, HoO, or _Tuesdays with Morrie, _which is a great book I read for my Honors English 9 class a little over a month ago. While I was bored, I pondered what kind of life lessons demigods should learn and this story was born. I'll be taking requests for topics Annabeth will ask. I know for certain I'll be doing family (mortal, immortal, the trio, etc.), the future, death, love, betrayal, regrets, and hopefully more will come from all of you. I'll try to make this as heart felt as the book that inspired this, but I'm no Mitch or Morrie. I can't promise anything about updates, but I'll try. So, sit back, relax, and read on as much as I have up. **


	2. 1st Tuesday-Letting Go

The first Tuesday I had with Thalia, we were doing laundry at the laundry mat. Luke doesn't come with us because he washes his underwear somewhere else. This way, we avoid awkward silence like last time.

Anyway, we were sitting on top of the washers while our clothes were in the drier. I decided now would be a good time to ask my question.

What to ask though? Believe it or not, there stupid questions out there. I think back to the book which received heavy water damage from the rain last night. The pages stick together now and the words are blurry, but I don't have the heart to let it go. Thals spent money that could have been used for camp supplies. It wasn't just the money, my dad told me never to throw away a book. He said it was like throwing away knowledge.

Yet, he had no problem letting his daughter go. I clenched my fists at thought. His motto should be keep books not blood. I can picture him saying this if my mother showed up at his door step. She wouldn't and he knows that.

Thalia jumps up next to me on the washing machine perch, eyes on the drier and counting quarters. I can tell by her body language she knows I'm brooding.

"Something wrong Annabeth?"

Yeah, demigods like us have crappy families who hurt us in one way or another. Hera must hate us. But I don't tell her this because I can't change it. Instead, I decide on my first question.

"How do you let go?"

Thals looked at me and wrapped an arm around me. "A person or an object?"

I want to be able to get rid of things without feeling wasteful and sever ties to Fredrick. "Both."

Thals sighed and starts the long process of answering me. "An object, unless it has sentimental, should be easy to let go of. You don't really need it to survive and it's like caring around dead weight and I don't want you to end up hoarding useless junk. Honestly, we don't need a fancy camper or a jumbo tent or designer clothes but there are thing you don't want that you need to keep."

"Like Luke's golf club?"

Thalia laughs at this. "Yeah, like his golf club because it's the best weapon he could find."

"When he gets a real weapon he'll get rid of it."

"Yup."

A commercial comes on the old TV in front of for some kind of beverage and everyone looked happy when they were drinking it. Thals caught sight of this and gestured to the TV.

"Then, there are the things you think you want and will make you happy."

"Do they make you happy?" I wondered if that's why I was never happy after Fredrick married Helen. He stopped getting me ice cream when the truck came to our street and buying me books.

Thalia shook her head as a serious look came to her face. In that moment, I saw experiences that she had witnessed and lived through. It made her seem less like a sarcastic caring thirteen year old and more like an adult. It reminded me that even though I'm at her level in the school department, she knew more about the real world. I was the child and she the mother.

"The best an object can do is entertain you or boost your ego. There are things like drugs, which I don't want you to ever to go near, that can trick you into feeling happy. There are other things too, but you really don't want to know."

"Does it involve where babies come from?"

Thalia was blushing but nodded. "Yeah, just don't "do it" with everyone."

"Do what?"

"Drop it." She uses a tone that's states she'll tell me when I'm ready.

"Fine."

"People are a lot harder to let go of. The only way to really let go of someone is for them to be dead, and even then you might not. You can resent and hate people Annie, but you'll never want to let go of the good they once were and are." She spoke with a far away look in her eyes to the mother with the little boy at the other side of the laundry mat. I wanted to ask how she knew this but a lump formed in my throat. Whatever happened was still a fresh wound that didn't to be drenched with salt.

I thought back to my dad. Would I still be calling him his first name half the time in my mind? Would I ever try to speak to him again? Would I ever go back? I try to picture myself ten years from now, eating diner in front of the TV during a Yankees game and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". I couldn't see it. Hades, I didn't see me living to be seventeen. With this in mind, I had to let go of him for the both of us.

"So, how do you?"

Thals looks sad and bitter as she thinks up an answer, but it's given in a calm voice.

"The fates usually do it for you Annie and if they don't, you'll know when the time comes."

This confuses me and doesn't help you bit. It leaves with a dozen more questions still unasked.

The drier beeped, signaling our clothes were done.

"That's it for today Annie. Ask again next week."

"I will." And I know the perfect topic.


	3. 2nd Tuesday-Family(ies)

I woke up from a nightmare where spiders had rapped me in their webs and started drinking my blood. Humans have a good reason to fear spiders more than death.

At the moment we are parked somewhere in rural Tennessee behind a drive in. The movies stopped showing a while ago and I can see Thalia and Luke staring at my post nightmare state. Luke opens his arms and I dash into them for a hug while Thalia pats my back.

Whenever I get like this, it reminds me just how important these two are in my life.

My dad never wanted me, I know that on rare occasions he would try to care but he never did. When Helen walked into his life, he acted like I wasn't even there, more than usual. I've been taking care of myself since I was three, so I wasn't hurt by less affection and continued to make my own food and eat anywhere but with him. Therefore, I never had a father until Luke came along and decided to apply. Although, with the close age difference, he's more like the best older brother in the world. Still, it's nice to have someone to teach me sports(dagger and sword fighting), be taken to work with (stealing, scouting for monsters, cleaning weapons), and just shield me from problems even if I know about them.

My mother is a Greek goddess and just using common sense I know who she is, Athena. A part of me wants to hate her for leaving me with dad and his new family, but my only memory keeps me from doing that. While putting me in my golden delivery basket, I started crying. She held me tight, looked at me, and said _Gods cannot raise demigod heroes and Annabeth, you** need** to be a hero._ I want to be a hero, or heroine, so I understand where she's coming from. Option number two for a mother was Helen and she hated me because I wasn't hers, no other feelings every showed except resentment. But neither of them will ever feel like a mother, that title will go to big sis Thals. She's the one I can talk to about my problems, plays cards with me, sings me to sleep with "Temporary Home", and is just over all motherly.

So yeah, I see them as big siblings and parents but it works.

Luke carefully sets me on Thalia's lap and tilts my chin up to face him, worry in his eyes.

"What nightmare?"

They both knew I had three main ones: being killed my monsters while I was on the run alone, Luke and Thalia dying, and spiders.

"Spiders."

Luke crawls over to the other side of the old shed we're crashing in and gets the bug repellent. I know they don't attack with others around but the spray keeps them out of my dreams. I stand up and pose peter pan style while he sprays me and see the time on my black watch is 2:42 A.M. I smile and look at Thalia.

She raises an eyebrow. "Luke, can you get a person high on bug spray because Annie looks high right now."

"It's Tuesday Thalia!"

"Can't be, it's still dark out."

"It's past midnight." I show her the watch and wear a smug smile.

Thalia threw her hands in the air with fake frustration. "This isn't a part of the deal."

"What deal? And do Tuesdays have to do with it?"

"You never set a certain time frame, just two topics that can't be discussed."

"It was implied you don't ask in the middle of the night."

"Thals? Annie?"

"No, you just thought I wouldn't think to ask anywhere before the sun came up."

"Who decides to ask questions when someone's half asleep?"

"ANNABETH! THALIA!"

Our heads both whipped towards Luke who look a little peeved to be left out of the conversation and the loop. We both blushed, embarrassed it got this far. Luke kept looking at us, arms crossed when he finally spoke.

"Well, Annie are you going to ask your question and Thalia are you going to answer her?"

Thalia looks at him curiously. "You don't even want to know what's going on?"

He shakes his head. "For some reason, I think this is a girl thing and it's best that I stay out of it. But, if you two ever argue about it again then I'll have to ask."

Thalia gives him a "Luke" smile, reserved only to use on him and what I believe is a sign she likes him. Then again it could be a signal of some kind. I'm thinking too much into this.

Luke smiles back one reserved just for her, takes his golf club, and walks out.

Thalia then turns her focus back to me. "Shoot."

I quickly ponder a question. "Is the immortal and mortal sides of our blood really family?"

Thalia stared at me and sighed. "Annabeth, Luke and I are your family."

"I know and you always will be, but please answer."

Thalia played with her aegis bracelet. "The gods are our parents, but honestly, they ignore us most of the time and when they don't, they use us to save themselves. I personally don't see my dad as a father, but as a jerk with ego and drama causing problems. What do you think about your mom?"

I hold my knife and use it to gesture. "I want to hate her for leaving me with my dad and never coming to check on me."

"She can't do that Annie, it's a big no no."

"She didn't have to visit me then. She's a freaking goddess who could watch my life like a movie if she wanted to. But she doesn't want, she doesn't care. Maybe she sees me as some sort of mistake or a disappointment. The only reason I don't hate her for abandoning me, leaving me with Fredrick, and the whole monster and spider thing-"

"Wait, she's the reason your scared of spiders? Do you know who she is?"

I pause. "Athena, she's the only one who can be my mom and don't ask how a virgin goddess had because I don't know."

Thalia nods. "It makes sense and I'm sure she found a way to have you without breaking her oath. Now, back to your speech, why don't you hate her?"

I bite my lip. "She told me when I was a baby, maybe a week old, that I needed to be a hero."

"Demigods are designed to be heroes and pawns for the gods. All that means is she'll need your help one day and you have to help her because she's the reason you're alive."

I know Thalia speaks the truth, but I've always seen it differently. Still, I'll save the subject of what it means to be a hero for a later date.

"So, are they family or not?"

"I would have to say our godly parents are that third cousin we might hear our mortal parents talk about but never meet, so extremely distant family. Now mortal parents, if they don't treat like you're their kid, don't consider them family. Any descent cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, or other can be counted as family. Got any of those?"

"I have relatives in Boston, but I've never met them so it would be rude to judge them."

A nice silence falls after that and stays for a few moments. I sit next to Thals and put my knife down next to me.

"I still don't see why you choose to ask that."

"I wanted to know. Besides you and Luke will always be my family."

Thalia smiles and starts to comb my messy hair with her fingers. Luke comes back with supplies as I start to drift to sleep.

"You two work it out?" He sits down next to Thals.

"Of course Luke, we're one small happy family."

I smile at that and go back to sleep.

**I'm back! School's just been crazy and will be until summer vacation. Anyway I don't own Temporary Home By Carrie Underwood, I think that's who wrote it, or PJO and HoO. To anyone reading my other story involving Pothena, I'll be updating soon okay. **


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